Michelle Obama booed by NASCAR fans

NASCAR fans let it roar

The White House and NASCAR are downplaying an incident on Sunday in which some race fans booed first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Biden.

While campaign season hasn't even officially started, it looks like some voters are already making their choices heard loud and clear. First lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Joe Biden's wife, were booed by NASCAR fans as they served as the grand marshals for the racing circuit's final event on Sunday.

Obama and Biden were at the Homestead-Miami Speedway to promote Joining Forces, an organization that fosters the hiring and training of veterans. They were joined by Army Sgt. Andrew Barry, a veteran of the Afghan and Iraqi wars who now volunteers at an Orlando, Florida veterans' center, and his family.

While there were some audible sounds of approval for Obama and Biden from the crowd, they were mostly drowned out by the booing. The crowd cheered loudly, although, when Barry—who was standing with his family beside the first lady and Dr. Biden—was announced.

It was a moment of stark contrast to earlier in the day, where the two ladies were said to have been received warmly at a private barbecue, according to reports.

"It's a sad statement on our political discourse if the booing was indeed directed at Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden," Senior Political Reporter Rick Klein tells ABC News. "They were appearing on behalf of military families, a cause which transcends party lines."